Hunt for tsunami orphans hampered, unprecedented

It is believed that at least 60 children have become orphans in the affected area.  The accurate number is still being surveyed.
Many of the schools were built at comparatively higher locations than the residential or commercial area.  Therefore, there are many children who survived but their parents unfortunately could not make it through.
Government of Japan is planning to set up a special boarding school to accept these tsunami-affected orphans aged 6-15.

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SENDAI (Kyodo) Child welfare officials have launched an extensive search for children who have either been orphaned or are missing in parts of Tohoku ravaged by the March 11 earthquake and tsunami.

Their efforts are being hindered by the scale of the destruction and the lack of administrative services in many areas.

Last weekend they met with their local counterparts and started searching the cities of Kamaishi, Ofunato and Rikuzentakata and the town of Otsuchi.

The experts will initially work in groups of three and look for orphaned children at evacuation shelters.

Children who have been left homeless will probably be entrusted to temporary care homes at child consultation centers or to host parents.

But temporary care homes and regular homes for children are already running at full capacity in various parts of the country because of the growing number of children who need to be protected from abusive or neglectful parents.

In the aftermath of the Great Hanshin Earthquake, 68 children aged under 18 were orphaned, while another 332 lost one parent.

The March 11 disaster is believed to have orphaned far more children because the monster tsunami devastated wide coastal areas.

Read the whole story
http://search.japantimes.co.jp/cgi-bin/nn20110402f2.html

Natsuki, 9 years old, drew a picture of her mother who is still missing.  She's taking refugee in Natori, Miyagi, with her 67-year-old grandmother.  Natsuki is reluctant to talk about her mother now, and hasn't shown any anger or saddness openly, which worries her grandmother greatly.    She must be fighting with harsh reality alone behind her weak smile.

・Here are the latest reports on the quake victims in Japan.  
http://hearthevoicefromjapan.blogspot.com/

How can we help?

・Japanese Red Cross
http://www.jrc.or.jp/english/relief/l4/Vcms4_00002070.html

・Save the Children, Japan quake victim
www.savethechildren.org/japanquake

・Japan Earthquake Animal Rescue and Support Website

http://www.facebook.com/pages/Japan-Earthquake-Animal-Rescue-and-Support/207835229228979
OR;
http://japanearthquakeanimalrelief.chipin.com/japan-earthquake-animal-rescue-and-support/